New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-28
THE ACKNOWLEDGES.
GAME LAWS AND HUNTING.


OsGOoD POND, Aug. "a
Itmpot lawful to loose the hounds yet but they
arc running in the remoter parts Of the woods and
aveu from the large hotels hunting parties take ont
dogs with little pretence of concealment. An
imaginative Adirondack letter in q recent New.
York paper stated that the guides
would not allow city sportsmen to
1SDlate the game laws There was
4 great deal Of ohucking among the men'tO whom
/ showed this remarkable statement. like the
guides. They are good fellows, ana as class they
lead hard and respectable lives; but it cannot be
said that they have superstItious reverence for
the statutes restricting the killing of deer. Inc
laws are changed often by Legislators who arc igno-
rant of the matter they undertake to regulate The
present game laws. for example, embrace
come almost incredible absurdities, ana II
thew vera observed DO venison. wherever
killed. whether in or out of the State. could be
sant To market at any season; and 1t is not IN
human nature TO be scrupulous about breaking
statutes which the common sense OF the neighbor-
hood considers mischievous and foolish Hence 1t
ia that while most of the permanent population OF
the Adlrondacks would sustain any iptelllgenty
devised methods for the preservation OF the game
on which so much of their livelihood depends
shifting and haphazard legislation Is
not respected and cannot be enforced
i do not mean LnaI UeeI are ouu
defantly slaughtered. The public opinion which
derides some OF the regulations made at Albany
exercises certain wholesome pressure of it's own.
Gross abuses are not common and are
not readily forgiven. The worst that can
be charged Is that bounding begins little
too soon and ends little too late. and that when
sporting parties 60 back into the woods. for
few weeks of rough life, they will shoot
deer without regard to the almanac
II they shoot no more than they
can eat they feel that they have exercised all the
eelf-restraint which reason demands
do not imagine that game constables are wont
to outrun neighb0rh0od opinion although they are
often sharp after fragrant transgressors. One au-
tumn lust after the close Of the fishing season.
beard this conversation between two guides:
"Doyou know this new game constable. Ben
Draper y [AI the names that give are fictitious.
"No, | haven't seen him."
swell, haipt seen him neither But do you
know what I'd do If was to meet him ~ I'd treat
him Just as well as knew how"
al guess you're right"
"Yes s'r And 1t would be worth while too.
The other day met two fellows in a boat who
don't belong around hero, and suspicioned that
one of 'em was him. l asked 'em. Be either one of
you Ben Draperf They said No. but we're his
men. We're Just looking to see if there's any trout
fishing going on You haint seen any. have
your Now that's what l like. Give me
q man VINO doesn't 60 sneaking and spying around.
but comes right mp to you and tells you fair and
square what he's after. Yes sr; If l meet Ben
Draper Pm going to treat him just as we'll as l
know how" l believe that Mr.. Ben Draper has
since retired to private life with the esteem Of
all the native community.
The methods of Ton Franklin were more direct.
~ N limo ions IN puides
and others interested in the autumn hunt
ing was pending in the Legislature
and Tom went to Albany with some sporting
gentlemen to stop ii. "1hree four fellows came
to u.s." said he, land asked if there any money
in it. If we'd put up few hundred dollars we could
have whatever we wanted. We could have raised
the money easy enough, but / said. no; If we do
they'll be after again next year and every year.
I'D rather spend my money at home. Any time
when you gentlemen feel like having some venison,
wen just say to our game constable, See
here, you 90 off to New-York, or Reese
vile, or some such place. and have
good time, and this is to pay your ex-
penses.' Then we'll get up little hunt. And the
best of it is that all the money will be spent right
here among our own people, instead Of being
wasted on lot of suckers at Albany"
Night hunting with jack-light is a practice
has stror q fascinatson for both guides and ANA
tours. 1t goes on all summer; and as conditions of
success are dark night and absolute quiet
there Is little fear of detection. Benson,
after his return from of these secret expedi-
tions gave me an enthusiastic description of his
feelings. There was sense of mystery and adj
venture even in our creeping away from camp at
dusk nugging the west shore of the lake in the
black shadow of the hills and pulling into the river.
where We waited for complete darkness. Then we
lighted the Jack, on q stat In the bow of the boat
crouched behind 1t with my gun. and
the guide unshipped the oars and
took his paddle. thought l know that river
by heart had fshed it so often but the fantastic
and beautiful sights which broke upon me in the
moving light made 1t seem like au enchanted
stream. A patch Of lilies would dart out of the
darkness and Just glisten and vanish; the alders.
as we swept by them, turned to silver. Sometimes
the beam Of light shot into al arch among the trees
and opened for an instant vision of fairy-and.
We corkscrewed our way through that mar
row and crooked passage where the bushes
brush you on both cheeks. and before the river
broadened again had lost all idea Of the direction
and almost forgotten what camo out for. l think
that the miraculous silence was great part of the
charm. The guide never took his paddle from the
understanding us on by just little turn Of his
wrist-and there was not so much as ripple about
the boat. 1t was the greatest night ever had!"
"And the deerf"
"Oh, we didn't get any deer but didn't care
for that. About midnight down by the rapids
we heard an old buck whistle and 60 crashing
through the bushes, but we didn't see him, and no
wasn't very near The guide said. The id fool,
he's been shot at before and that was the first
word spoken since we started down the river.
We came home after that. 1t was the greatest
hight ever had. / would not have missed 1t for
anything"
i often hear the jack-hunteIs pass my camp
h the night, and sometimes meet
them toward evening and laugh at their weak pre-
fences of secrecy. Coming home from fishing late
one day we passed two guides whom l know in q
narrow part of the river There were guns and o
paddle in their boat aid no could doubt their
errand, but without any questions from us they
volunteered the information that they were just
l. L. ,1a 10 ynto LAM i,,D nat